Mozambique Hunting

Although you’ll find most of Mozambique’s visitors heading straight for its sandy, Indian Ocean coastline, the country’s previously depleted game reserves are once again teeming with wildlife – and gaining fast traction on the hunting Safari map.

Mozambique’s flagship Gorongosa National Park recently featured in an award-winning National Geographic documentary, Africa’s Lost Eden and it’s only a question of time before this relatively unknown, off-the-beaten-track hunter’s paradise regains its reputation as a top African game-viewing and hunting Safari destination.

Once war-ravaged, Mozambique has reinvented itself as a relatively safe and politically stable destination, with economic activity booming and tourism on the rise. Although a vibrant and worthwhile country to visit, in reality, most hunters who travel to Mozambique only see it from the air in a domestic flight or charter plane, or an air-conditioned vehicle while being driven to camp. Unfortunately, that’s just the way it is when cramming a hunt into a short space of time.

Typically, you’ll be under the constant care of your Professional Hunter (PH) – Graham Sales / Graham Sales Safaris, from your time of arrival until you leave, and will have little, or no contact with locals and their customs. We offer you an overview of hunting territories and laws in Mozambique, as well as background on the country’s economy, history, customs and landscape.

Mozambican Visa and Passport Requirements

All visitors to Mozambique must possess a passport valid for at least six months after they depart from the country. Visas are required by everyone except citizens of South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Swaziland and can be bought at most borders for between US$35 and US$80 depending on your nationality, but you are strongly advised to obtain your visa in advance from your nearest Mozambican Embassy. (http://maputo.usembassy.gov/nevr.html)

Please contact Graham Sales at graham@grahamsalessafaris.com for any assistance or if you have any questions in this regard.

Flights and Getting around in Mozambique

Maputo International Airport: the main gateway into Mozambique with direct flights from Portugal, Johannesburg or Cape Town, usually filled with holidaymakers on their way to one of the country’s smaller airports to access the Indian Ocean coast.

Vilanculos International Airport: fly from Maputo, Johannesburg, Cape Town or Kruger International for the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago..

Pemba International Airport: gateway to the Quirimbas Archipelago, Pemba is accessed via Maputo, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. US guests usually fly into Johannesburg from the USA form where they take a connecting flight to Pemba.

Money and Spending in Mozambique

Mozambique’s currency is the Metical (plural Meticais) but both the South African Rand and US Dollar are widely accepted in southern Mozambique. In the north, it’s best to carry dollars, but keep small denomination notes for shopping at markets and craft shops.

Larger hotels and lodges have credit card facilities, but they are rarely used anywhere else. Cash machines are only available in main towns and are often out of order or empty, so plan ahead.

A 10% tip/gratuity for service is standard in restaurants. Tipping tour guides is at your discretion and depends on the size of your group and the level of service you feel you’ve received. You might have to lower your service expectations somewhat because although friendly, staff in restaurants and hotels often have limited experience and countrywide, infrastructure is still lacking. In short, come with patience and an open mind.

Change money at exchange houses (Casa de Cambio). Avoid exchanging foreign notes at banks – and absolutely never from anyone in the street.

Local markets are colourful and great for inexpensive souvenirs – if you can stand the noise and constant hassling from sellers. Remember to barter: the first price mentioned is likely to be ten times the actual value. Stay polite and back out in a friendly, yet firm manner if you consider the item too pricey.

Getting to your Safari area in Mozambique

Hunting in Mozambique is conducted in concessions known as coutadas, areas set aside specifically for sport hunting. There are six hunting blocks located in the buffer zone of the Niassa National Reserve, as well as a few community hunting areas and game ranches.

Most hunters will land at Johannesburg and take an onward domestic commercial flight to the Mozambican airport closest to their hunt location. Guests heading to Graham Sales Safaris’ area flies to Pemba from where they will take a charter flight to our hunting block. The other option is to fly from Johannesburg to the town called Lichinga, from Lichinga to camp is around a 7 hour drive.  The airport of entry to Mozambique must have customs facilities to handle rifle imports, should you bring your own firearm.

Once in Mozambique, you will be met at the airport by the staff of Graham Sales Safaris and assisted with your rifle import before a road trip or charter flight to our Safari area.

How to deal with Jetlag on Safari

Jetlag is usually worse when flying in an easterly direction, so hunters arriving from the US are more affected than those flying south from Europe. A feeling of disorientation, fatigue, headaches, sore muscles and an upset stomach are all part of the symptoms, and the last thing you need if you have limited time to complete your dream Safari with graham Sales safaris.

If you won’t have time to slowly adjust your body clock, try these suggestions to minimise the effect of crossing several time zones at once:

• Try to adjust to the new time zone before departure, by going to bed and getting up earlier or later.
• Adjust your mealtimes according to the time zone difference.
• If it’s night-time at your destination, try sleeping on the plane. On the other hand, resist the urge if it’s daytime.
• Try to move around and drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Avoid taking naps once you arrive, even if you are feeling tired. Get out in the sunlight and try to stick to the new hours.
• If you usually suffer quite badly, arriving a couple of days early before the Safari with Graham Sales Safaris starts, might be a good idea.
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Dealing with Mosquitos in Mozambique

Depending on the time of your visit and where you go, you might never encounter one of Africa’s most pesky inhabitants while on a hunting Safari, but the bottom line is that you shouldn’t take any chances. Malaria is a serious, yet preventable, disease – if you take proper precautions.

Africa is not the place for citronella, eucalyptus or clove oil potions, or natural alternatives such as soaps, garlic capsules and mozzie-repellent wristbands. You will need a product which contains DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) which repels insects by interfering with their antennae, making them unable to locate their victims. It is available in many preparations (sticks, lotions, gels, sprays) and various strengths. It is applied directly to the skin.

You could try any of the insect repellents, available in the States and online:

• Ultrathon Insect Repellent Cream – 34.34% DEET with control-released protection for up to 12 hours. Water and sweat resistant.
• Ben’s 100% DEET Mosquito, Tick and Insect Repellent Formula – 10 hours of protection against mosquitoes and ticks.
• Sawyer Products Premium Maxi-DEET Insect Repellent – 98% DEET, 10 hours of protection against mosquitoes.
• Repel 100 Insect Repellent – 98.11% DEET for up to 10 hours of protection against mosquitoes.
• Bug Guard is an excellent product.

Mosquitos are most active at dawn and dusk, but you’ll probably be out on a hunt during the early mornings, dressed in long sleeves, pants and boots, and therefore well protected. It’s in the evenings that one needs to be extra careful.

Mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide, heat and scent, with a particular fondness for foot odours. Make sure your ankles are well protected sitting around the dinner table or campfire. Ideally, you should be wearing shoes, but if you are wearing sandals, make sure your feet are clean and slathered in mosquito repellent. There’s also an element of luck involved: mosquitos simply find some people more attractive than others.

Avoiding Mosquitos, in short:

• Mosquitoes bite at any time of day but most bites occur in the evening.
• If you are out in the evening or night, wear long-sleeved clothing and long trousers.
• Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spray an insecticide or repellent on them. Insect repellents should also be used on exposed skin.
• Spraying insecticides in the room, burning pyrethroid coils and heating insecticide impregnated tablets all help to control mosquitoes.
• If sleeping in an unscreened room or under the stars, a mosquito net (which should be impregnated with insecticide) is a sensible precaution.
• Garlic, Vitamin B and ultrasound devices do not prevent mosquito bites.
• Our camp at Graham Sales Safaris are fully equipped with mosquito nets over each bed.
• At Graham Sales Safaris we spray the inside of our tents in the morning as soon as our guests leave camp and close all zippers soon after, this way there won’t be any mosquitos in your tent when you arrive back in camp after a hard day of hunting – by this time your tent won’t smell like any repellent either.

Landscape and Wildlife in Mozambique

Mozambique is about three times the size of Great Britain and is split into two distinct topographical regions by the Zambesi River. Mozambique is around 694 744.50 square miles where the United States is approximately 3 798 191 square miles which makes Mozambique around one fifth of the size of the United States.

Northern Mozambique is rugged, a landscape of hills and plateaus. Niassa Nature Reserve is described as ‘the forgotten wilderness’, one of Africa’s last true wildlife experiences. Remote, wild, and largely undiscovered, here game roam in spectacular numbers against the backdrop of one of the largest protected miombo forest ecosystems in the world.

Its not far-fetched to state that Northern Mozambique may become the most sought after Safari destination in Africa’’ – Graham Sales

‘’It is amazing to see herds of Cape Buffalo, Roosevelt Sable and Livingstone Eland and the thought crosses one’s mind that we might be the first people these animals have ever seen’’ Graham Sales / Graham Sales Safaris.

During Mozambique’s civil war, game reserves in the central part of the country were all but wiped out, but because of its remote location, the far northern part escaped this destruction. Left to their own devices for two decades, game numbers remained stable and are now increasing at a rapid pace due to the effective anti-poaching units that Graham Sales Safaris has in place.

The 26 000 square mile Niassa Nature Reserve is home to spectacular numbers of wildlife, including more than 10 000 Elephant, 200 critically endangered African Wild dog, Lion, Leopard, and Hyena. It also boasts three endemic species: the Niassa wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus johnstoni), Boehms zebra (Equus burchelli boehmi) and Johnston’s impala (Aepyceros melampus johnstoni).

In Southern Mozambique, the coastal plain widens from north to south into vast, open woodlands. Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique was at the centre of the civil war and its wildlife decimated. Formal efforts to restore the park’s infrastructure and animal populations began in 2004 in a collaboration between the Mozambican government and the US-based Carr Foundation. In July 2010, the park’s borders were extended to include Mount Gorongosa. The project has been hailed as a victory for conservation, and sharp increases in animal populations now draw thousands of visitors to the park each year.

Species permitted to be hunted in Mozambique

Chacma Baboon – CITES II

Yellow Baboon

Cape Buffalo

Chobe Bushbuck

Limpopo Bushbuck

Bushpig

Nile Crocodile – CITES II

Common Duiker

Blue Duiker – CITES II

Red Duiker

Cape Eland

Livingstone’s Eland

Elephant – CITES I

Cape Grysbok

Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest

Spotted Hyena

Hippopotamus – CITES II

Impala

Southern Greater Kudu

Leopard – CITES I

Lion – CITES II

Common Nyala

Oribi

Porcupine

Common Reedbuck

Sable

Steenbok

Suni

Warthog

Common Waterbuck

Blue Wildebeest

Nyasaland Wildebeest

Burchell’s Zebra

Crawshay’s Zebra

Vervet monkey – CITES II

List of species that occur in Graham Sales Safaris’ Marangira & Sable Camp Safari areas:

Yellow Baboon

Cape Buffalo

Chobe Bushbuck

Bushpig

Nile Crocodile – CITES II

Common Duiker

Livingstone’s Eland

Elephant – CITES I

Cape Grysbok

Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest

Spotted Hyena

Johnston’s Impala

Southern Greater Kudu

Leopard – CITES I

Lion – CITES II

Porcupine

Common Reedbuck

Roosevelt Sable

Steenbok

Warthog

Common Waterbuck

Nyasaland Wildebeest

Crawshay’s Zebra

Vervet monkey – CITES II

The African Elephant is Mozambique’s National animal.

Facts about Mozambique’s national animal (African Elephant)

• Common name: African Elephant
• Trinomen: Loxodonta africana
• Type: Mammal
• Found in: Africa
• Size (L): 2m – 2.7m (6.6ft – 9ft)
• Weight: 5 to 7 tons (2750kg – 7700kg) Bull / Cow
• Top speed: 40km/h (25mph)
• Life span: Up to 70 years (I believe the oldest recorded Elephant was in Kruger National park and reached 67 years)
• Color: Grey / dark grey
• Skin type: Plain and thick. The texture is very rough like sandpaper.
• Diet: Herbivore
• Favourite food: Tree bark, grass and grass roots

Mozambican Hunting Laws

• Hunting season is from 1 April till 30 November.
• Only hunt animals for which a license has been issued in the hunter’s name. Graham Sales Safaris will apply for permits well in advance before the client arrives on his/her Safari.
• All animals are subject to quota availability, hence the importance to let Graham Sales know well in advance what specific species you are interested in hunting.
• Hunt permits must be issued before the hunt commences.
• All trophy hunting is to take place in daylight, with a few exceptions. Half an hour before sunrise till half an hour after sunset is considered legal hunting time.
• A minimum number of days for a hunting Safari will be set by the concession holder – Graham Sales Safaris, based upon the species being hunted. Leopard – 15 days. Cape Buffalo – 12 days. Lion – 18 days.
• Hunting of a pregnant female or one with dependent young, or young and/or immature animals is not permitted. If you do shoot a female by mistake, you will be expected to pay the regular fee as for a male, but the trophy won’t be exportable.
• Vehicles may only be used to reach the starting point of a hunting area, from where hunters should continue on foot. All hunting with Graham Sales Safaris is done on foot – the traditional ethical way.
• The shooting of an animal from a vehicle is not permitted – the hunter has to be more than 200 yards away when firing at an animal. However, crocodile can be hunted from a boat.
• A separate Model A hunting licence must be issued for each individual hunting client. Graham Sales Safaris will apply for permits on our client’s behalf.
• PAC hunts (Problem Animal Control) are illegal.
• The hunting of klipspringer, caracal, blacked-back and side-striped jackal, civet, genet, serval, honey badger or roan antelope is not permitted in Mozambique.

Mozambique Hunting Licence requirements

The application for a hunting licence must be made by your outfitter (Graham Sales Safaris) who will need documents and information at least three months before the Safari. The cost of the hunt permit is non-refundable should you cancel. We will need:

• Name of the person entitled by the licence.
• The area where hunting activity will take place. Graham Sales Safaris to supply these details when applying for all licenses.
• A certified copy of passport for foreign hunters.
• 2 recent passport photographs.
• Nationality and official residence of the applicant.
• Full name, date, and place of birth.
• Physical address of applicant.
• A declaration by the applicant to the effect that he is not conditioned by any legal disposition or judicial decisions to exercise hunting activities or to hold a firearm licence.

You need to be:

• Older than 18 years of age.
• Mentally fit and not suffer from any physical deficiency that might compromise the safety of hunting activities.

Mozambique at a glance

Formerly: Portuguese East Africa

Capital: Maputo

Area: 801,590 km2

Population: 31 million

Language: Officially Portuguese, but mostly local dialects. English is not widely spoken.

Time Zone: GMT+2

Climate

Average summer temperatures: 21°C to 31°C (60°F to 80°F)

Average winter temperatures: 15°C to 26°C (70°F to 90°F)

Rainy season: mid-November to April

The Northern areas of Mozambique tends to get hotter during the summer than the above averages.

Temperatures and rainfall patterns vary between the country’s diverse. The areas along Mozambique’s north-eastern coast are the hottest and most humid in the country, while the high-altitude regions in the Nampula and Niassa provinces are the coolest.

A Short History of Mozambique

Bantu speaking people arrived in what is now Mozambique 2 000 years ago. They farmed the land and were organised into small kingdoms. By the 9th century, Arab merchants arrived at the coast of Mozambique and for centuries afterwards, trade flourished between the Africans and Arabs.

In 1498 the Portuguese sailor Vasco Da Gama landed at Ilha de Mocambique on his way to India and during the 16th century, the Portuguese established trading posts along the coast of Mozambique. They took over some of the land and divided it into large estates called prazos but had little control over the country.

The situation changed in the late 19th century when Africa was carved up and appropriated by Europe. In 1891 Britain and Portugal signed a treaty whereby the British recognised the borders of Portuguese East Africa, officially handing power to Portugal. The Portuguese flourished and even as other African nations started gaining their independence by the 1950s, were determined to hang on to their colony.

By 1964, a war of independence broke out and it took ten years of bitter fighting before Mozambique became an independent nation, on 25 June 1975. Unfortunately, the political situation then went from bad to worse. The new government’s socialist policies left its people impoverished, so after only two years of independence, a devastating 15-year civil war broke out, led by an anti-communist organisation called Renamo. In 1992 a peace agreement was reached and the country has been politically stable and steadily developing ever since.

Mozambique Economic Outlook

Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources, including huge coal reserves and the world’s fourth-biggest natural gas fields. Its economy is largely based on agriculture, but industry is growing, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing and aluminium and petroleum production. The tourism sector is also expanding, although still performing well under its potential.

Since 2001, Mozambique’s annual average GDP growth has been among the world’s highest. However, the country is still one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world, ranking low in GDP per capita, human development, measures of inequality and average life expectancy.

People

Since the hasty post-independence departure of some 360 000 Portuguese, Mozambique’s 30 million people are overwhelmingly drawn from its black ethnic groups, the largest being the Macau and Shangaan. Nevertheless, the Portuguese language dominates and around 50% of Mozambicans speak it as a first or second language, despite the 60 or so regional languages. In general the people are peaceful and friendly.

Culture

Roughly 60% of Mozambicans, mostly centred in the south of the country and in bigger centres, identify as Christian, although traditional African religious beliefs are still strongly held on to. About 18% of the population adheres to the Islamic faith, particularly in the Arabian-influenced north. Music and dance feature prominently in Mozambican culture (the famous marimba is a local instrument) while the Portuguese influence on Mozambique’s spicy, Mediterranean-style cuisine will be obvious to visitors.

Food

Traditional Mozambican cuisine revolves around fresh seafood, corn porridge, millet, stews and mandioca (cassava pudding). It is common to find bifel streak and chicken served with beans, cassava chips, batata potatoes, coconut, and cashew nuts. These are mainly accompanied by a garlic and chilli sauce (called peri-peri) which varies in potency – be warned! Mozambique’s tea, popularly called cha, is commonly accompanied by juicy fruits such as papaya (pawpaw), pineapple and mango at the end of a meal. Don’t leave before trying Mozambique’s celebrated 2M beer (pronounced dosh-em), produced by Cervejas de Moçambique, one of the country’s largest companies.

Self-driving Holidays in Mozambique

Unless you’re an adventurer with a sturdy 4×4 off-road vehicle and plenty of time on your hands, Mozambique is not recommended as a self-drive destination, as the roads can be challenging and the travel distances vast. However, if you’re up for the task, keep in mind it can be slow and unpredictable, with potholes, washed-out roads and police checks as standard. Distances and time can be meaningless, as “not far” can range in meaning from a few to 200 miles; “not long” can mean 10 minutes or five hours – it takes some getting used to!

Personal Safety in Mozambican Cities and Towns

Don’t take photographs of any military installations, police stations, airports, border crossings or similar buildings.

It’s virtually impossible to blend in and look like a local but minimize your chances of being a victim of crime with confident and purposeful body language, as opposed to looking lost or distracted. Don’t carry or wear valuable items like cameras, smartphones, tablets, expensive watches or jewelry in crowded public places. Always be aware of your surroundings, particularly at night and in crowded streets where pickpockets operate.

Don’t flash any cash. Discretion is the word, so have smaller amounts of money handy in different pockets rather than pulling out a large wad of notes from a wallet. Keep your money and important documents in a concealed travel money belt or pouch when out and about.

Make multiple copies of important documents like your passport, airline tickets, firearm permit, US Customs Form 4457 and credit cards and store sets in separate pieces of luggage. Keep a separate list of important phone numbers you may need in an urgent situation, such as lost credit cards, your airline, travel agent and insurance.

Hazards in Mozambique

Upheaval

Localized upheaval currently being reported is focused in one small area in the remote northernmost part of Mozambique and aimed at community members – tourism has been unaffected and is considered safe.

The Smart Traveller Enrolment Program is a free service for US travelers which enables those travelling abroad to notify the nearest US Embassy or Consulate of their trip. This enables you to receive travel warnings, travel alerts and any emergency notifications from your family.

Extortion

Officials wanting bribes is a scourge in Mozambique, and probably visitors’ biggest complaint. If you spend any time in the country, especially if driving, the likelihood of having at least one encounter with officials is high. The police might stop you asking for your passport, or you might get pulled over by the traffic police to check your vehicle and documentation.

Make sure you have your passport on you at all times, or a notarized copy of your passport and visa. Notaries can be found in almost all major towns in Mozambique. Getting the photocopy of your passport notarized is quick, and costs less than a dollar.

When driving, make sure you have two triangles and two glowing jackets in the vehicle, that your battery is secure (bolted down) and all your documents are in order. Pay close attention to the speed limit and how it randomly drops from 120km to 60km per hour.

If you are asked to pay a bribe for some nonsensical issue, don’t. If you have done nothing wrong, be patient and politely demand to go to the nearest police station (“esquadra”) and the officer will likely let you go. If you have transgressed, ask for a proper fine with a receipt (the official fine is often much less than what the police will try to extort from you). Remember, every time you pay a bribe you are exacerbating the problem by maintaining the incentive for future harassment.